


Child of the Forest

by cledritch



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cutesy, Fluff and Crack, Fluff without Plot, Forest Fairy! Winwin, Forest filled with Magic, Gen, Humor, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, It's More of Fluff Really, Johnny got lost in the Forest, Supernatural Elements, Yutae are Winwin's bird guardians, blink and you'll miss it angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-05
Updated: 2017-01-05
Packaged: 2018-09-15 00:29:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9211775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cledritch/pseuds/cledritch
Summary: "My grandma used to tell me when I was younger that I should be careful because these woods can make people confused. She got lost in there one winter day and despite knowing her way back, she just-" he made a motion similar to an explosion with his hands near his head "And she was so lost that she thought she would die there."Johnny grimaced. "Sounds morbid.""But then the fairy came up to her."





	

**Author's Note:**

> Did you see the johnwin scenes in Limitless Rough Ver? At the first seconds, it was johnwin then they hit me with taewin at the end. So I wrote a johnwin and a taewin at the same time. This is the johnwin one. I have to finish up the taewin. Enjoy this mindless fluff because the next fic I'm posting is angst.

Sicheng looked at the sky, hands reaching up to make it feel like he was touching the fluffy clouds that were passing by him. He tiptoed on the branch to try to reach higher but there's a peck at his right ear that was enough to hurt that he stopped, turning to the white and lavender feathered little bird that glared at him with its beady little eyes.

He chuckled, finger coming up to let it perch on it and rubbed his cheek against the top of its head. "Taeyong-hyung, I wasn't going to fall." he cooed at it when it puffed its chest in annoyance before making angry chirping noises.

He can clearly hear the elder say _You were about to, don't question me_ and Sicheng lifted Taeyong up to see where he was looking at, the clouds now farther away. "But it's unfair. You can fly to the sky but I can't and I'm stuck here when you and Yuta-hyung fly off with everyone else."

It was hard to see what he considered brothers have fun making loops and little races in the sky with their wings while he stayed in the forest following trails they showed him so he wouldn't get lost, his home nothing but a big unexplored land that he has yet to walk through on his own. It didn't help that Yuta would always keep his eyes on him even when he was flying and he couldn't do much about it. Taeyong would be worse and he'd always fly around his head as he scolded him, tiny frame not a bother when he has claws to show off. It was a blessing that Sicheng would only do anything against their rules when they couldn't turn back to their human-like forms adapted to help him settle and thus, made it easier to sneak out.

Taeyong chirped before flying around Sicheng's head and then petulantly landing on his head, burrowing himself into the black strands. The younger huffed, careful as he climbed down the tree without disturbing the bird and when his bare feet finally hit the forest floor did Taeyong fly off his head to bump his nose with his beak. "Yes, hyung. I'll wait home. Be safe with Yuta-hyung, okay? Don't fly through water if you don't want to catch a cold." With a peck on its tiny head, Taeyong flew away and Sicheng sighed. He brushed off the leaves on his white tunic and turned around to go back to their tree.

 

On the other side of the forest, Johnny grumbled onto the hood of his car as he tried to make sense of the map he held.

There was no sign of the road that the map indicated to the south and there's just miles and miles of trees that made him bite his lip out of nervousness. There's even a hint of fog that covers through the area that he's not sure if they still looked like trees or some crazy grey monotone horror story depiction of forests that housed urban legends from nightmares and it was still noon.

He ran his hands through his hair to pull it away from his eyes as he pointed at the map. "I was supposed to be there by now." he hissed to no one in particular before he lifted the map to see better. It was clear he might have made a wrong turn somewhere and might need to drive back to the last turn he made but he turned the map and scrunched his nose to find it still didn't make sense.

Ten, as much as the younger seemed to be his best friend and would forgive him for anything, is probably having a hissy fit right now because he was supposed to be in his summer house to celebrate his birthday. What kind of birthday celebrant was he to be late to his own party that his friends arranged for weeks?

He can feel the not-really joking slaps he's getting for making them wait and folded the map before he went back to the driver's side of his car. He's just about to open the door when he spied movement at the corner of his eye, turning when he hears the crunch of leaves under someone's weight.

Johnny brandished his car keys to hopefully intimidate whatever animal has emerged from the horror forest but when he looked around, there was nothing. "Must be just my head messing with me." he chuckled to himself and got inside, turning the engine as he turned his car on reverse. He backed up his car, looking at his side-view mirror and turning one more time at the woods to spy someone running away. This made him hit the brake for a short moment, eyebrows furrowing before he continued and drove away as he pulled his phone out to finally swallow his pride and called Ten.

He wasn't scared of ghosts and he wasn't shaking when he found that Ten's summer house was on the other end of the forest as he took a road around it to find the large villa where his friends were waiting for him.

 

Sicheng looked at the odd light in the distance, covered in the darkness of the night and the foliage of the forest where he stood peeking behind a tree.

He's seen what Taeyong has explained as a bonfire that normal people used to talk around at eerie hours as they ate food that was a mixture of complex components called smores that was sweet and crunchy that Sicheng was salivating listening to him. The elder chirped at him angrily in response and pecked on the air around his face to emphasize he shouldn't go near humans otherwise they will take advantage of him. Yuta who was preening his shiny light brown underfeathers poked his head up and chirped louder that if Sicheng wanted to eat something sweet, he would try to make something using the fruits in the forest. He snapped his beak and added that if any human came close to Sicheng, he was going to peck their eyes out.

But it's night and the two of them were tired from flying all day with the other animals because of the rowdiness of the guests in the otherwise empty house on one end of their little forest. Sicheng had bundled up his pillows to make it seem he was still asleep under the pelt given to him by the spiders as a gift and tiptoed past Taeyong and Yuta who were curled next to each other in Yuta's bed. It was good that they didn't try to snuggle with him that night because they were too exhausted to move.

Now, Sicheng can see the five figures talking amongst each other gathered around the container that had roaring flames flickering against the air. Their silhouettes were a bit intimidating, even if three of them looked around his height but he looked at the taller one whose face was illuminated by the flames.

"Oh." he exclaimed in surprise as he recognized the same person he saw when he walked by the edge of the forest earlier, the tall boy who was wearing more clothing than Sicheng is used to seeing with the poofy thing over another fabric and even cloth that covered his legs that made him look thinner. He had compared it to his tunic, flowy and  long that it reached his knees with small slits at the sides. Is he like those humans that Taeyong spied in cities when the elder visited there? Tight clothes and angry eyes that hated the world, that's what he explained and Sicheng has never seen anyone this close to home.

He abandoned his place to move closer, careful that he wouldn't make a noise and listened in on their conversation.

 

Ten guffawed, too loud for the night as he clutched his stomach when Johnny recalled what happened before he came to the villa and he didn't stop until his laughter turned to squeaks. "Oh my god. The forest scared you, man."

Johnny rolled his eyes so hard he might have given himself a headache. "If I know any better, you're scared to get inside the forest."

Hansol patted Johnny on his back, sympathetic but still laughing at the other's expense. "Well, you're not wrong-"

Jaehyun cut him off and waved his hands around. "Ten's parents told us a story about it when we arrived this morning. It wasn't spooky really."

Doyoung immediately perked up. "It sounded like some magical phenomenon."

"What?"

Ten stood up and faced all of them with the fire behind him that cast harsh shadows on his frame that made him look a little intimidating. He waved his body to try and make it seem more scary but only looked like he was trying to imitate a fish out of water. "My grandma used to tell me when I was younger that I should be careful because these woods can make people confused. She got lost in there one winter day and despite knowing her way back, she just-" he made a motion similar to an explosion with his hands near his head "And she was so lost that she thought she would die there."

Johnny grimaced. "Sounds morbid."

"But then the fairy came up to her." Ten continued and Johnny managed to comment a "So she was hallucinating she was lost?" before Ten hit his head for interrupting. "The fairy of the woods is something that the former owner believed to live in the center who is guarded by all the other spirits of the forest that take the form of animals to not scare him. She said that it was like looking at a painting with how unreal they looked and they even spoke to animals. They helped her get back but that was the last time she ever saw them again. The forest doesn't want to expose the fairy."

Doyoung chose to say "You still believe in fairies at your age?" he scoffed and Jaehyun chuckled.

Hansol seemed interested at it and he spoke up. "How do you know it's still there?"

Johnny sighed at the ridiculous notion of something living in the forest with weird wings and sparkly skin but he did listen to Ten answer Hansol's question with a mocking grin.

"You can't hear the crickets right now right?" And it was true, the silence of the night unusual when it was almost one in a place where the forest floor should have made any semblance of a noise. There were no crickets chirping when it was summer and there should also be the annoying buzz of cicadas but there's just unnerving silence.

Johnny looked at the forest, eyes looking into something that resembled the silhouette of a person peering at them amidst the trees. His heart skipped a beat, dread filling his senses when he can make out the outline to that of someone-

Ten chirped up, smile on his face as if he wasn't scared of the idea of some woods with beings not of their kind. "The fairy is walking about."

Johnny was about to say something about the potential serial killer in the forest looking over them but it was gone when he blinked that he had to rub his eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating at all. "We should sleep."

Doyoung and Jaehyun muttered their agreements and Hansol went to douse the fire. It wasn't until Ten led him back to the villa did he look back to the forest to hear the crickets start their song.

Wow, he must be really crazy.

 

Yuta is accompanying him. He pouted the whole time they went to the river so Sicheng can take his bath with how he came home with mud to his shins and it had dried overnight that Taeyong was lightly pulling at his hair to scold him for going out in the middle of the night without telling them where he went. Yuta managed to peck Taeyong away from him and offered that he'd fly with him to take the mud off.

It was meant to be an interrogation apparently. Sicheng pulled his sleeves past his elbows as he bunched his tunic to dip his legs to the cold water. He shivered, the clear water never changing color as he held his clothes up while his other hand scooped some water to get rid of the streaks of mud. He hummed while Yuta fluffed his feathers when he splashed water at the bird, squawking at him before he perched himself on his head so his wet feathers could mess with Sicheng's hair.

"Yuta-hyung, that's bad." he told him but he just chirped cutely to hide how pleased he was that he was making Sicheng's hair wet.

_Did you go near the edge of the woods?_ Yuta asked him and he shook his head immediately because in retrospect, he wasn't anywhere close. Just maybe a few steps and he would have been at the edge so it doesn't count. Yuta didn't need to know that and Sicheng just smiled as he looked up at the bird peering down at him.

"I didn't." he tilted his head and he winced when Yuta's claws dug a little onto his scalp to stop him from falling off. The bird moved so his beady eyes were glaring into Sicheng's and the latter only blew at him making Yuta jerk back.

He laughed and said "Sorry, hyung. You're so weird when you do aegyo as a bird."

Sicheng finished washing the mud off and started to walk back to the bank but Yuta suddenly screeched so loud it startled him. He turned around and lost his balance, right into the deeper part of the river where the current was stronger than what he was used to that he found himself being pulled. He can't think with the water in his senses, trying to breathe properly because he wasn't made for the water even with how Taeyong and Yuta explained that nothing will harm him. He can taste the crisp water and it's flooding his mouth in a way that it hurts, legs flailing around to reach for something to hold. He could hear through the rushing of the water Yuta's screeching before there's a splash and an arm wrapping around his back and knees. His hands find purchase on something soft and he's being carried back to the shallows, breathing heavily against whatever has him with his eyes stinging from the water getting to them. He coughed to get rid of the burning in his lunges before he rubbed his eyes.

"Hey, hey! Tell your bird to stop pecking me-Ow!"

Sicheng squinted through his eyes as he's being swung around because Yuta was attacking his savior. "Hyung, stop. I'm dizzy."

"I'd stay still if your bird would stop!"

Said bird squawks in protest, shrill _This one's getting drowned!_ echoing like a war cry but Sicheng waved it off when his eyes finally adjusted the savior and he squeaked in surprise making the person loosen his grip in surprise that makes him drop Sicheng to the shallow bank, butt making contact with the rocks there that he hissed in the jolt of pain.

Yuta, of course, noticed that and brandished his claws as he flew fast to mess that face up for hurting his precious Sicheng but the younger yelled a loud "STOP! ENOUGH!" that Yuta halted and almost fell out of the air. The person reached out his hand at Sicheng, hair wet and sticking to his eyes as he looked down at him that the boy felt his heart skip a beat. Sicheng's cold, his tunic is clinging to him like second skin that he feels self-conscious and he knew he looked like a wet baby bird with his hair sticking on different directions. This person looked like he couldn't be human with his expressive eyes and tall nose bridge that made Sicheng look down at the pretty jut of his bow-like top lip and he was taller than him when he took the hand to stand up.

Yuta immediately dove between their held hands to break them apart and landing on Sicheng's head to glare at the newcomer.

"Wow, you must have really trained that bird." he said, voice sounding soothing to Sicheng's ears like listening to Taeyong and Yuta's lullabies before he fell asleep and he blushed.

But Yuta took offence to being called trained and lightly pinched Sicheng with his claw. The latter furrowed his brows at him and took a step back. "He's not trained," he bit his lower lip out of nervousness when he finally realized there is a human in the woods "How did you get here?"

The male blinked and scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. He shifted his eyes to Yuta who glared intensely at him from his perch. "I got lost? I didn't listen to my friend and I wanted to see if someone was here."

Did he see him back then? Sicheng felt his hands turn clammy at the sudden panic that's overcoming him that he reached his hand to take Yuta down his head and hug him close with the bird's head under his chin to get some semblance of comfort. Taeyong had warned him time and time again that the more people knew of him, the more danger he was subjecting himself to and that they will take advantage of the things Sicheng is still learning about that could be considered impossible in human standards.

"You need to leave."

 

Johnny stared at this strange boy with only a thin tunic that seemed to shine under the sun despite sticking to his skinny form, unsure at where to look: the cute way he was looking like a deer caught in headlights or the brown bird that's glaring daggers at him in his arms. He's starting to shiver in his wet clothes and he rubbed his arms to get the feeling on his nerves back before he answered.

"Look, I really am sorry that you fell-"

The bird made another indignant squawk that Johnny wants to punch it. The boy looked around, scared over something that he turned around and ran much to Johnny's surprise.

"Hey, wait!" he chased after him, falling down a few times at the way his shoes slipped on the ground and hauling himself up to catch up to him. The boy was fast, making turns that often made Johnny run into trees because of how unpredictable he moved and he is wheezing while his nose is chaffed from hitting the bark of the trees.

He looked up to see if he was still there but he slipped again on a pile of leaves and hit the ground, tasting the bitter taste of the dead leaves and mixed with the dirt that he spit out immediately. He coughed, bottom lip stinging that he was afraid he might have broken skin and he touched his finger on it, wincing when he felt pain and seeing blood when he withdrew it.  He licked at it, coppery taste disgusting with the aftertaste of kissing the ground that he groaned into his hands.

He was lost and he's hallucinating. That's all he can think of and ruffled his hair. This was what he got for helping some cute kid who wore too little and for thinking that walking to a forest would be fun when Ten told him not to-

"Come with me."

Johnny jolted at the voice, the boy now in front of him with a worried look and gnawing at his lower lip as he waited for him to say something. He looked significantly drier than before that his tunic swallowed his frame like a loose blanket and brushing on his knees while his hair was ruffled with the wind. How did that happen?

"Um." was Johnny's genius response before he reached out to touch the boy's cheek, just to be sure he wasn't hallucinating and when he felt warmth and softness from the reddening skin as the boy gaped at him, he stood up.

The boy blinked cutely and gestured for Johnny to follow him. He was barefoot now that he noticed it but he didn't seem to mind the leaves scrunching under his feet and walked before him, turning when the other didn't follow him because he was busy staring. Another cute blink and how old is he? He looks so young that Johnny felt like he was staring at a child who doesn't know the harshness of the world. "Your lip is bleeding, dripping blood." he pointed out before Johnny flinched and walked over his side as they matched pace.

"What's your name?" the boy asked, curious as he touched every foliage he could reach and there's a soft murmur from his surroundings that made Johnny look around to see if they had company.

"Johnny..." he muttered. The boy hummed before he tilted his head up to look at his face with those innocent eyes.

"Strange name."

Johnny chuckled a little. "Well, it's a nickname. Something I grew up with in Chicago." he doesn't know why he's conversing with a stranger so comfortably but the boy doesn't look harmful. At least, he's not getting any bad vibes from him. Just a lost boy who falls into rivers and has a pet bird, he thought and realized that there should be warning bells.

His face scrunched up, lips pursing that Johnny had to stop himself from clutching his chest at the sheer adorable this boy was. "What's Chicago?"

"You mean where?" He shook his head much to Johnny's confusion. "I mean, it's in America and you look like you're not from around here either-"

The boy paused for a minute before he walked in front of Johnny, facing him as he took steps backward when he went forward. "Yuta-hyung said you shouldn't give your name away so easily. So are you protecting your name?"

Strange, Johnny thought and shrugged.

"Then call me Winwin." he giggled and twirled around Johnny with a smile on his face that showcased his crooked canine that only made him more child-like.

"Winwin? Sounds fake, but okay." Johnny joked as they passed by what seemed to be a tree stump that Winwin kneeled in front of, lips pressing on the middle of the numerous rings of the bark that he raised a brow.

Winwin looked up at him and gestured him again, making Johnny kneel beside him before whispering "Pay your respects."

Johnny cringed, unsure what's going on. He was cute the first few moments but now he's asking him to kiss a stump? He's hearing the alarm bells. "Why?"

Winwin smiled, pointer finger swiping at the scrape on Johnny's lips that he stiffened at the touch. "Because the forest is alive and the pain we bring to it is caused by sheer careless abandon to take, take and take." he moved away and he waited.

"I hate to think I need to kiss a tree." 

"No one said you needed to kiss it." was Winwin's teasing answer that Johnny blushed at the assumption he made. He bowed at the stump and stood up to ruffle Winwin's hair in payback, making him laugh. There's something so memorable with his laughter, light chimes and the wind blowing like it's laughing with him that Johnny wanted to clench his chest at how this weird boy fits so well in this so-called enchanted forest.

"We're almost at the entrance of the forest." he said as they continued walking, Winwin swaying hands back and forth like a kid while whistling to some tune that Johnny swears sounded like birds singing.

"Well, I'd let you borrow some clothes too. You look cold and I'm sure Ten has something to fit you. It's the least I can do." the elder offered and Winwin looked over his shoulder with an eyebrow raised.

"I'm content with what I have. You have a lot of layers and you look warm," the boy slowed his steps so he can walk beside Johnny and tug at the sleeve of his still wet jacket "Don't you feel annoyed?"

He must be joking. Johnny looked at the fingers that peeked out of long sleeves, pale wrist glowing in the light and made a noise at the back of his throat. "I'm trying to repay your help."

Winwin shook his head and he pointed to the distance, Johnny's eyes following to find the villa and turned back to see Winwin already walking back. "Hey! What are you doing?"

Winwin smiled at him from over his shoulder, pressing his two fingers on his lips and threw a kiss before he ran out of sight because Johnny was knocked by a strong wind as he stepped back out the forest.

"There you are!" Ten yelled from somewhere behind him, slamming to his back that he guffawed at the impact. He turned and hit the younger by the shoulder.

"What the hell, Ten? Missed me much?"

Ten kicked the back of his legs in retaliation. "You're the idiot! I told you not to go in the forest and now you show up when it's already noon."

That made Johnny freeze, looking up the sky to find that the sun is already high up the sky and he pulled Ten's wrist to stare at the glowing 12:56 on his watch that clearly told him that he was in that forest for 6 hours. "How is that possible? It felt like minutes!"

Hansol walked over them, a worried expression on his face and asked. "I thought you were going out for a stroll. Not explore the whole place."

Johnny thought about Winwin, how at ease he was among the foliage and the brightness he seemed to bring to the forest and hit his head before he rushed inside the villa with Ten and Hansol at his heels.

Did he meet the so-called fairy?

 

Sicheng pouted petulantly from where he sat, Taeyong in his human form hovering over him with a scowl. His wings were tucked neatly to his back but they ruffled when Sicheng tried to do open his mouth that he shut it immediately. There was two reason he was scared when Taeyong and Yuta were the same appearance as him: they both looked intimidating with their eyes and Taeyong's jaw is so sharp that Yuta joked he can cut anything with it while the other has been more touchy because he has hands to grab onto him and the second reason is that, they talk too much with their mouths because chirping angrily at him isn't torture enough when they were tiny.

"Okay, so a week ago you disregarded Yuta's advice to stay put as he went to get me so I can see this human-"

Sicheng only pouted more because the human had a name and it's Johnny but Taeyong's glaring at him so doesn't try to correct him.

"-And you helped him get back to his home when I specifically told you never to do that again after that little girl who wandered and saw you-"

She was nice, Sicheng thought of the winter where he was bundled in stitched up leaves and fur from the animals they shed to keep him warm and he stumbled upon some crying girl near where he was looking for the fox to thank him. She was very short and stared at him in awe when he asked if she was alright before she said that he was a fairy. He didn't think much of it and led her back home because she would die in the cold.

"Are you even listening to me? I'm trying to keep you away from danger-"

Yuta tapped a claw at the side of Sicheng's head, alerting him to the other's presence and the elder sighed. "Sicheng, we're just worried. He almost drowned you!"

"Actually, you surprised me so I slipped."

The elder scowled and crossed his arms. "So it's my fault? What's so nice about that human that you made way to help him?"

Sicheng thought about it, the weird human who asked him questions he hadn't thought about and the way he didn't seem afraid of the forest. It could be because he's never been that close to a human in years that he can't help but be fascinated with their layers of clothes and their way of living. He wanted to leave the forest and see this so-called interior of the house that Johnny lived in, being invited again and again when Johnny would make time to stop by the entrance where Sicheng left him to talk to himself. He'd hear it when a breeze blew past him to alert him that someone was talking about him, hiding out of sight as Johnny thanked him and asked him if he was okay with Johnny coming back. Sadly, before Sicheng took the courage to show himself, there's someone tugging the hem of his tunic and he was found out by Yuta and Taeyong.

"I just-" he thought for the right word so both of them wouldn't storm out and do anything to his new friend "I'm curious?"

Taeyong rolled his eyes, hands cradling Sicheng by the chin careful to not let his claws touch his skin and said in a motherly tone "Sicheng, we don't trust humans with you. They've done worse to this forest and in turn, to you. I won't let anyone hurt you if I can help it and Yuta understands what I mean."

Yuta nodded and came to hug Sicheng with one arm. "You're like our baby bird and we don't want to get a repeat of that time. You might not remember because you were still young but we do and it's a memory we don't want to relive again." his hand tightened on Sicheng's shoulder with his eyes filled with nothing but care.

Sicheng doesn't know what to say so he lowered his head instead before Taeyong kissed the crown of his head and Yuta pecked his cheek. "We'll go now but please for our sake, stay here and don't do anything. For us, okay?"

The boy nodded, kissing both of them on the cheek and bidding them goodbye by the entrance of their tree house. He looked at them shift into birds once more, flying out of his sight into the sky to make their rounds. Sicheng sighed, looking down to the ground and biting his lip in thought. Taeyong always knew the words to affect him and it doesn't help that whenever they talk about that incident on how the forest almost got cut down to become some commercialized lot did he go into seizures and a fever that was so bad Taeyong felt like he was holding a furnace with how high it got. It took the construction workers only natural calamities and misfortune befalling to them for no reason to quit the project, the forest property then protected by the family who lived nearby and it was passed to another when every living relative died.

He absentmindedly sat down the edge, feet dangling and he sighed heavily. "I guess they are right." he looked up at the sky, enjoying the breeze and the fresh air of the afternoon when there's a shift that made his eyebrows furrow.

He can't question it because someone yelled a "Hey!" loud enough to startle him that he fell. Sicheng yelped at the sudden drop, hands flailing in the air before someone catches him in their arms and knocks the wind out his mouth.

"We really should stop meeting like this." Johnny's familiar voice made his eyes widen and he gaped at the other who seemed to be knocked on the ground from having Sicheng's weight on him.

The latter stood, helping Johnny up with a shocked expression at why he was here and how did he get here and Sicheng is looking around to see if Taeyong and Yuta caught wind of this. "I told you not to come back here."

"Well, I wanted a thank you but I guess you're worried more about your parents scolding you." Johnny joked and Sicheng shook his head in frustration.

"You can't be here. They'll come back and I don't want a fight."

"Listen-" there's a war cry somewhere behind Johnny and Sicheng only had enough time to react that he threw himself at the other to push him to the ground as Yuta swooped down to peck at him. Taeyong circled the other way and his claws are out that he clamped them to Johnny's hair, tugging him away from Sicheng. Yuta is flapping his wings that he hits Sicheng twice and Taeyong stopped assaulting Johnny's poor scalp to screech at Yuta, bumping him so he wouldn't reach Sicheng. The two birds bickered, angry chirps echoing as they batted at each other.

Johnny did the only thing he could think about, grabbing Sicheng by his wrist and ran towards the opposite direction while his bird guardians were distracted, the boy tugged easily that he didn't protest until they were close to the edge of the forest that lead to a-

"No, wait! Not there!" Sicheng yelled and grabbed Johnny's arm to pull him back just before he fell to the sudden drop below that led to the clearing where Sicheng used to sleep in.

Johnny turned to him, breathless and eyes squinting because of the strain of the running before he burst into laughter. Sicheng didn't think that being endangered was funny but Johnny's head came up to his head and took out a few leaves that had stuck to his hair when they ran.

"So, you sure you didn't train your birds because they're your magical guardians or something?"

Sicheng paled. "How do you-"

"Come on, fairy. Ten's grandmother called you a fairy and I really thought it was more feminine," Johnny chuckled nervously at the offended look on the boy's face before he waved his hands around to defend his statement "Just kidding. You look soft either way."

"What do you want?" Sicheng asked because he can feel the tension that the forest is vibrating with, clawing at his skin at the nervousness he's starting to get because what if Taeyong and Yuta were right? What if Johnny is just trying to take advantage of him? He's seeing it in a different light all of a sudden and it could because the forest is warning him to be careful.

Johnny smiled, too kind and open that it shouldn't make it seem like he was shining because he's human and no human can look like that. "You seemed like you were bored. And I want to be friends with you, if that's okay."

"I have Taeyong-hyung, Yuta-hyung  and this forest. What more do I need?"

Johnny offered his hand, smirking now. "Fun. Why not try it before you decide?"

 

He expected Winwin to say no at first but the boy looked around as if he's listening to something before sighing and squaring himself, hand on Johnny's before holding it tightly.

After that it felt like a blur.

They maneuvered through the steps that Winwin seemed to have walked through before to get through the clearing filled with flowers of different varieties. Johnny saw him touch them, almost asking for permission before he plucked several that it made him look over what he was going to do and nearly fell over when the flowers grew back. Winwin weaved the flowers into a crown, so easily as if he's done it before and placed it on Johnny's hair.

"What's this for?"

"Protection." was his simple answer before he held his hand to guide him towards the path hidden in the leaves dipping down and arches of wild flowers that had crawled up them. He didn't touch the leaves for it to move and Johnny began to finally understand why he was called a fairy to a little girl's eyes. He's untouched with the world's cruelty, soft with nature cradling him like he's a newborn and not thinking about what it means to be wary of people. He's very shy but also not, tugging Johnny to show him an underground cave that glowed blue with the rocks that lit up from the reflection of light and he stared in awe at the blue-tinted sparks that danced inside the area, a stream that filled the cave with the sound of flowing water and bouncing the light on its surface that it made it feel so much more alive.

Winwin led him to a shallow part, toes dipped as the orbs of light flew around him. Johnny stood still as he heard him whisper to them, a surreal sight as he gestured him with a hand to come closer.

Winwin held one of the orbs and it turned pink before rushing to fly off as it turned back to its blue color. "They're quite shy, the sprites here. But it's what makes them fun to mess with," Several bounced onto his hair and he laughed "They're like me really."

"Well, you look too human for me think of you for anything but." Johnny said as a few sprites came to move around him in curiosity. He reached a hand out to touch one of them but it fizzed and he flinched.

Winwin hummed and walked back to his side, smile playful as he pointed to the entrance. "Race you back!" He ran before Johnny could say anything and the lights followed him. The elder tried to catch up to him but he barely followed him out to find that the sun had began to set.

"Does time flow differently here?"

"I've never been out of this forest so don't ask me that." Winwin retorted as they walked back up the steps, Johnny holding his hand to haul him up and they let the sound of the forest from the rustling of the leaves to the noises of the insects chirping.

"Do you want to?" he asked looking up at the towering trees and wondering if those birds from before would swoop down at them any moment. When he felt a little safe as they approached the edge of the forest, he repeated. "Do you want to come with me? Ten would want to meet you for saving his grandmother."

Winwin tilted his head, confused. "What's a Ten?"

Johnny waved his hands. "It's not a what but a who, really. It's what we call him and you helped a little girl get back home one winter?"

The boy brightened up, gasping at the connection. "Oh! But then if she has a child-" his smile began to fade, eyes wider than before, "Is she with the spirits now?"

Johnny felt bad for making him frown and bit his lip, thinking he shouldn't have said anything. But the damage has been done and he tried to remedy it. "She lived happy after you helped her. Her family has been taking care of the villa now and Ten tells me they make offerings to the forest during her birthday. They were grateful to you."

Winwin looked at Johnny, tilting his head as his eyes searched for something on his face. When he seemed to have found it, he gave a soft smile. "Humans have short lives, right?"

Johnny didn't want to him elaborate what he meant by that but he nodded in agreement because he really shouldn't forget that Winwin was someone who has lived in this forest for more than a century.

"It's not the same with my hyungs. They live longer because of me and sometimes, they do act like my parents than my friends," Winwin stopped at the edge of the forest, humming some off tune as he thought of his next sentence. Johnny walked a few steps in front of him, unsure if he should be saying goodbye now but Winwin walked into his space, tiptoeing to kiss him on the cheek and moving away to say "I will cherish our short friendship together."

Johnny doesn't manage to make a response because there's two silhouettes emerging from behind Winwin. One male with off-white hair and dark eyes intensified by thick eyebrows and another male with brown hair that was tousled with the wind. One thing they had in similarity was the large wings on their backs, something that made Johnny rub his eyes to make sure he wasn't just seeing things.

Winwin waved goodbye, walking with the brown-haired one while the one with off-white hair stayed behind to look at him. He glared at Johnny from his head to shoes and said. "You should watch your words."

Johnny rose one eyebrow in question.

"He's very naive if you noticed. And you shouldn't promise him things because he'll take them to heart. You humans like doing that to everything andd breaking your promises in the end."

"Wow, that's something I didn't need to hear from someone with wings on their back."

The male laughed sarcastically, rolling his shoulders and turning his back, saying "Don't try to hurt me or you're going to catch these claws." before he flapped his wings and flew away.

Johnny chuckled when there was nothing to see inside the darkness of the forest and walked back to the villa. "I should invite him back to the villa. Winwin seems the type to like ice cream."

(Johnny almost thought Sicheng-as the boy has finally thought that two months of sneaking around and knowing each other is enough to tell him his real name-wanted him to be attacked when he invited him to come up his house because Yuta and Taeyong refused to let him go out today and asked for Johnny to come for a change. He was never particular when he realized that the two birds that wanted to end his life were the same two guardians that still wanted to get rid of him. He's never seen them up close but now that he was here sitting on a makeshift chair from leaves and the blankets Ten gave Sicheng, he can almost say they were cute with their peaceful expression and calm stance. They even tilted their heads in sync at him when he came inside their humble abode that was more of a hollow bark of the tree they filled with things.

"Hello, Youngho-hyung." Sicheng greeted as he stood from where he was snuggling with the two bundles of feathers and kissed his cheek like he usually did to greet anyone. This made the two birds bristle but because it was more of Sicheng's innocent gesture, they didn't do anything.

However, Johnny kissed him on the corner of his mouth by mistake because the boy was moving too much and there's a familiar war cry ringing through the air and there's feathers and wings and claws trying to take him apart. )

**Author's Note:**

> I laughed so hard because I have a phobia of birds and imagining the bird scenes made me cry.


End file.
